akar.earthForest Carbon and EUDR in West Papua
Forest carbon in West Papua: Bintuni Bay mangroves, Arfak Mountains, Fakfak nutmeg, oil palm permit reviews, conservation province status and EUDR exposure.
West Papua, centred on Manokwari after Southwest Papua was split off in 2022, holds Bintuni Bay, one of Indonesia’s largest intact mangrove forests, plus montane forest in the Arfak Mountains and Fakfak’s native nutmeg forests. Mangrove conservation and customary forest protection are the main carbon opportunities, and EUDR exposure is limited to oil palm, wood and small volumes of cocoa.
What the split means
Southwest Papua, covering Sorong, Raja Ampat, Tambrauw, Maybrat and South Sorong, became a separate province in 2022. West Papua now covers Manokwari, South Manokwari, the Arfak Mountains, Teluk Bintuni, Teluk Wondama, Fakfak and Kaimana. Datasets labelled “West Papua” before 2022 include Southwest Papua, so check boundaries.
Forest and land cover profile
- Arfak Mountains: montane forest above Manokwari, home to bowerbirds and birds of paradise, and to Arfak communities with customary conservation traditions.
- Teluk Bintuni: vast mangroves and lowland forest around a deep bay.
- Fakfak and Kaimana: lowland and hill forest, karst, and native nutmeg forest.
- Teluk Wondama: part of Teluk Cenderawasih National Park, a large marine park shared with Central Papua.
Lowland rainforest, swamp forest, karst forest and montane forest all occur. Forest cover remains high.
West Papua has declared itself a conservation province, a provincial policy commitment to sustainable development and protection of forests and customary rights. It has also reviewed oil palm permits, with some licences revoked or reduced in recent years.
Peat and mangroves
Bintuni Bay holds one of the largest mangrove systems in Indonesia, with tall Rhizophora and Bruguiera forest and deep organic soils. It is fed by rivers and supports major crab and shrimp fisheries. Mangroves also line Kaimana and Fakfak.
Mangrove carbon is mostly in the soil, so soil cores and depth measurement drive carbon estimates. See mangrove soil carbon and the blue carbon hub. Key species include Rhizophora apiculata and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza.
Some peat and swamp forest occurs in lowlands around Bintuni.
Main commodities and drivers of forest loss
- Nutmeg: Fakfak nutmeg (a native Papuan species, Myristica argentea) is harvested from semi-wild forest stands. Not an EUDR commodity.
- Oil palm: estates in Manokwari, South Manokwari and Bintuni, with some permits reviewed or revoked.
- Timber: logging concessions in lowlands.
- Cocoa: smaller smallholder volumes.
- Oil and gas: major LNG infrastructure in Bintuni Bay.
Forest loss is low by national standards. Drivers include roads, oil palm, logging and energy infrastructure.
Which carbon project types fit
| Project type | Fit in West Papua | Key issue |
|---|---|---|
| Mangrove conservation | Bintuni Bay, Kaimana, Fakfak | Credible threat in a largely intact system |
| Forest protection (REDD+, HFLD) | Lowland forest near roads and permits | Low historical deforestation |
| Customary forest management | Arfak, Fakfak, Bintuni clans | Recognition, benefit sharing |
| Nutmeg agroforestry | Fakfak | Existing high carbon stock |
Because historical loss is low, project-scale REDD+ and mangrove conservation baselines must show a real future threat, such as revoked permit areas that could be reissued. Jurisdictional high-forest low-deforestation approaches may fit better; see the REDD+ hub.
EUDR exposure
- Palm oil: estates need plot geolocation, legal permits and evidence of no deforestation since 31 December 2020. See EUDR and palm oil.
- Wood: logging concessions need harvest-area geolocation.
- Cocoa: small volumes.
Customary land
Land in West Papua is held by clans (marga) under customary law. Special autonomy recognises customary rights. Arfak communities follow a customary conservation system that zones land into protected forest, use areas and settlement. Permenhut 6/2026 confirms customary communities as legitimate carbon participants. See customary forest carbon.
Testing the threat in an intact landscape
West Papua’s carbon opportunity rests on showing that intact forest and mangroves face real future pressure. Evidence can include revoked or expiring permits that could be reissued, planned roads, new administrative centres created after the 2022 split, energy infrastructure in Bintuni, and population growth around Manokwari. Each must be documented, not assumed. Where threat is weak, a credible option is to support jurisdictional programmes and customary land recognition, which secure forest without relying on a contested baseline. Buyers also increasingly value high-integrity conservation finance that is not tied to offset claims. See compliance vs voluntary markets and carbon credits vs insetting for how different buyer approaches work.
Practical next steps
Confirm post-2022 boundaries, map clan territories and permits, and test whether a credible threat exists. Compare with Southwest Papua, and see the forest carbon hub.
Frequently asked questions
What changed for West Papua in 2022?
Southwest Papua, including Sorong, Raja Ampat, Tambrauw, Maybrat and South Sorong, was split from West Papua. West Papua now centres on Manokwari, with Bintuni Bay, Fakfak, Kaimana, Teluk Wondama and the Arfak Mountains.
Why is Bintuni Bay important for blue carbon?
Bintuni Bay holds one of the largest and most intact mangrove forests in Indonesia. Its large soil carbon stocks make conservation of these mangroves a major blue carbon opportunity.
What is West Papua's EUDR exposure?
Limited. Oil palm and wood are the main covered commodities, with small volumes of cocoa. Fakfak nutmeg is not covered.